Tuesday, July 03, 2007

This new book traces the sources of Puerto Rican striving and setbacks in New York and elsewhere. > By Bienvenido Ruiz

City Limits WEEKLY #594July 2, 2007

Boricua Power: A Political History of Puerto Ricans in the United States; By José Ramón Sánchez; NYU Press; $24.

On a sunny Sunday last month, thousands embraced the 50th National Puerto Rican Day Parade as a celebration of their heritage and a moment of pride and visibility. It was the prime occasion for politicians, celebrities, corporations and assorted public figures to display – and claim the rewards of – their “solidarity” with this community. Besides its high profile and sheer numbers, this event is a yearly New York City milestone for bringing attention to the myriad conflicts between Puerto Ricans and the city’s powerful.

Again this year, the media recorded an aftermath of controversy: how many Fifth Avenue buildings were barricaded from the crowd; how many people were arrested, and for what; whether the police wrongfully targeted young people for wearing this or that (supposedly gang-related) t-shirt; how people watching a parade could be accused of “unlawful assembly"; and whether there were “wilding” incidents to report, as in past years.

The unfortunate conflicts following this exceptional moment of visibility reflect, in a way, the history of Puerto Ricans in the U.S.

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PRNewswire Spotlights PRSUN for Hispanic Heritage Month '14

"I like this blog because (Clarisel) Gonzalez keeps her coverage personal, namely her photo coverage of events like the National Puerto Rican Day Parade ’14 in Manhattan or the Puerto Rican Day Parade in the Bronx.